Considering a wedding outdoors in 2023? You’re not alone — but depending on where you want to celebrate the big day, you may have better luck doing it than in others.
Lawn care industry news outlet Lawn Love recently ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities on their favorability for outdoor weddings based on several categories, including venue access/quality, affordability, services and climate.
According to Lawn Love, the best California city for an outdoor wedding is Pasadena, which ranked sixth overall on the national list. The Los Angeles County city received an overall score of 46.40 out of 100 points (not bad, since the top city only received 51 points). Two other California cities made the top 10 — see those listed below.
Other Golden State cities that placed high on the “best” list are Pomona (11th), Fullerton (12th) and Oceanside (19th). In the category of Most Wedding Equipment Rentals per 100,000 residents, California dominates the top 5, with Torrance, Pomona and Palmdale ranked 1-3 nationally, respectively. And when it comes to affordability, San Bernardino shares a five-way tie for top national spot for Biggest Share of Budget-Friendly Outdoor Wedding Venues.
Los Angeles ranked in mid-list at number 82, with an overall score of 29.70. L.A. ranked higher than other California hubs like Sacramento (92nd), Fresno (145th) and San Jose (165th).
The California city ranked lowest on the list is Stockton. The San Joaquin County city received an 18.91 overall score, with venue access and affordability being key factors of its placement. A few other California cities ranked higher but were also dinged in certain categories, including Ontario and Orange (Lowest Average Consumer Rating for Outdoor Wedding Venues), Lancaster (Fewest Outdoor Wedding Venues per 100K Residents), and San Jose (Fewest Wedding Planners Per 100K Residents).
Another California city ranked higher than Stockton but still landed in the bottom 10 ranking. Modesto (191st) received a 20.29 overall score.
Lawn Love’s top 10 cities for outdoor weddings overall are:
| Overall rank | City | State | Overall score |
| 1. | Charleston | South Carolina | 51.712 |
| 2. | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | 51.34 |
| 3. | Orlando | Florida | 48.10 |
| 4. | Savannah | Georgia | 47.32 |
| 5. | Hollywood | Florida | 46.93 |
| 6. | Pasadena | California | 46.40 |
| 7. | Miami | Florida | 44.61 |
| 8. | Escondido | California | 42.31 |
| 9. | Glendale | California | 41.94 |
| 10. | New Orleans | Louisiana | 41.63 |
Potential complications aside, outdoor weddings remain a popular option for the big day.
Wedding news and resource outlet The Knot reports in its 2023 The Knot Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 12,000 couples, 72% of weddings took place either fully or partially outdoors in 2022.
The top two venue types for couples in the Knot’s survey were banquet halls (20%) and farms/barns/ranches, which also comprised 20% of venue types used.
